Šot el Džerid, Chot el Jerid

Šot el Džerid ili Veliko slano jezero je ustvari slana pustinja veličine oko 7000km2. Nalazi se na jugu Tunisa blizu granice sa Alžirom.



Chot el jerid or Great salt lake is actually salt desert that covers 7000km2. It is situated in south Tunisia, close to Algerian border.

Pejzaž ove slane pustinje se vremenom menja. Na primer, 2006. godine Šot el Džerid je bio nepregledno belo prostranstvo na kom su se mestimično zadržavale roze ili svetlo plave barice posle retkih kiša. U tim malim vodenim površinama mogli su se videti sićušni organizmi koji haotično plivaju.

Landscape of this salt desert is changing over the years. For example in 2006. Chot el Jerid was white immensity where small pink and light blue ponds stayed after rare rains. In those small ponds tiny little creatures, that swim chaotic, can be seen.



Danas 2010. godine belu slanu koru zavejao je pesak te je kraj dobio izgled prave peščane pustinje. Zimi su padavine obilnije pa se teren raskvasi i postaje opasna žitka masa. Preko Šot el Džerida izgrađen je put tako da se sada ovo prostranstvo može bezbedno preći.

Today in 2010. send has covered white salt crust so the area looks like an ordinary send desert. In a winter time there is more rain so the terrain becomes wet and soft dangerous mass. The road over Chot el jerid has been built and all that enormous space can be safely gone over.




Vožnja mimo asfaltnog puta može biti kobna jer meka površina slanih naslaga može progutati one koji preko nje prelaze. Priča se da je Šot el Džerid tokom istorije „ progutao“ mnoge karavane sa kamilama, tovarima i ljudstvom.I danas kada se vozite preko ove ravnice na jednom mestu u daljini vidi se autobus koji je ostao zaglavljen u soli i blatu pre mnogo godina.

Driving over the surface of the salt lake other than over asphalt road can be fatal because soft surface of salt layers can swallow down the ones who are passing over. As the story has it, in previous times Chot el Jerid „swallowed down“ numerous caravans with camels, goods and people. Even today when you drive across this plain of send, at one point in the distance, you can see a bus which stayed stuck in salt and mud long time ago.

Na severo zapadu Šot el Džerida nalazi se oaza Tozer koja je nekada bila važno stajalište na putu karavana sa robljem i robom koji su pristizali iz crne Afrike. U Tozeru postoji aerodrom pa se u ovaj grad može lako i brzo doći. Iz Tozera se mogu lako obilaziti pustinjski lokaliteti.

On the north-west side of Chot el Jerid there is an oasis Tozeur which was throughout history important station on the road of caravans that were coming from deep Africa bringing slaves and goods. Tozeur has an airport so it can be easily directly reached. It is good starting point for people who wants to explore desert.



Na jugu, nalazi se oaza Duz koja se još zove i „ Vrata Sahare“ jer od nje počinje Veliki orijentalni Erg – more saharskog peska. Dok se vozite preko Šot el Džerida u daljini sa jedne strane se vidi venac litica.Vrh tih litica je zapravo obala nekadašnjeg mora koje je postojalao na mestu današnje pustinje i bilo povezano sa Sredozemnim morem, a slana kora po kojoj se vozite je zapravo dno tog nekadašnjeg mora. Na stajalištima Šot el Džerida se može kupiti kristal „Pustinjska Ruža“ koji je veoma lepog i dekorativnog izgleda i najpoznatija urma na svetu Dglet Nur.

Fotografija sa čamcem i katarkom koji su ostali bez mora je uspomena koja će vam krasiti dane i donositi sećanja na odbegla mora.

In the south of salt lake there is oasis Douz also known as „Gateway to Sahara“ since Great Oriental Erg (the sea of Saharan send) starts from that point. While you are driving over Chot el Jerid you can see on one side in the distance chain of cliffs. The top of those cliffs used to be shore of a sea that existed instead of today`s desert, the sea that was connected with Mediterranean sea. The salt crust that you are driving over is actually seabed of that long ago gone sea. At stopping-places along Chot el Jerid you can by crystal called „Desert Rose“. It is very beautiful and can be great decorative souvenir. Also you should by the most famous date Deglet Nour. Photograph with a boat and mast which stayed without sea will be a remembrance that will adorn your days and bring up to you memories of runaway seas.

Oaza Duz, Oasis Douz

Sahara je naveća topla pustinja na svetu. Idući na jug Tunisa nailazi se na razne oblike pustinjskog pejzaža.Na samom početku velikog mora peska nalazi se oaza Duz koja se još zove i „Vrata Sahare“.



Sahara is the largest hot desert in the world. Going south in Tunisia various desert landscapes can be seen.At the entrance of great send sea there is an oasis Douz also known as the „Gateway to the Sahara“.

U njoj se danas nalaze palmarijumi sa preko milion stabala palmi koje radjaju najpoznatiju urmu na svetu Dglet Nur.

In Douz, today, there is more than one million palm trees of most famous dates „Diglat Noor“. That is why this oasis is considered as major producer of this fruit.


Na kamilama se nakon pola sata jahanja može stići do prvog debelog, belog saharskog peska. Kada karavan zastane ljubitelji pustijne mogu sjahati i zaroniti bose noge u topli svetli puder. Mogu u njega sesti i pod vrelim pustinjskim suncem osetiti atmosferu putujućih karavana i beduina. Duz je u prošlosti bio jedno od važnih mesta na putu trans saharskih karavana koji su omogućavali trgovinu izmedju mediteranskih zemalja i zemalja podsahare.

After thirty minutes of riding a camel in a caravan the first thick, white sends of Sahara can be reached. When the caravan stops, desert lovers can dismount and dig their bare feet into warm white powder. They can also sit on the send and under hot desert sun they can feel the atmosphere of a traveling caravans and Bedouins. In previous times Douz was one of the most important stops on the trans-Saharan caravan routes. Trans – Saharan trade was a trade across Sahara desert between Mediterranean and sub – Saharan countries.

U Duzu se može odsesti u nekom od izvanrednih hotela.
There are lot of good hotels in Douz.


Skoro svi hoteli imaju bazene pa se u toplim saharskim noćima može do jutra kupati i spavati pored bazena pod mnoštvom niskih zvezdanih sazveždja. Hotel Sahara Douz ima i otvoreni i zatvoreni termalni bazen. Blatnjava voda ima relaksirajuće i lekovito dejstvo.
Almost all hotels have swimming pools so it is possible to swim, in a warm Saharan nights and sleep by the pool under the low star constellations , till morning comes. Hotel Sahara Douz has both outdoor and indoor thermal swimming pool. Muddy water has healing and relaxing effect.



Oni koji vole avanturu i noći pod vedrim nebom pustinje mogu preko lokalnih agencija poći na višednevno putovanje u karavanu.
Duz je i dobra bazna stanica za one koji žele da obiđu brojne pustinjske lokalitete rasute na zapad sve do alžirske granice i na istok do granice sa Libijom. Na ove ture najbolje je poći džipovima sa pogonom na sva četiri točka.
Adventurers who love nights under the open sky of desert can go on a several day caravan trip which can be booked in one of local agencies. Douz is also starting point for those who want to visit numerous desert sites scattered on the West all the way to Algerian border and on the East towards the border with Libya. The best way to experience those excursions is to book place in a four- wheel-drive vehicle.

Svake godine u novembru ili decembru u Duzu se održava Međunarodni festival Sahare. To je četvorodnevna proslava tradicionalne pustinjske kulture. Na festivalu ima mnogo muzike, igre, poezije, borbi kamila i trka pasa rase Salugi koja je karakteristična za severnu afričku pustinju (Persijski hrt).

Every year Douz hosts the International Festival of the Sahara, a four-day celebration of traditional desert culture. The festival, usually held in November or December, features traditional music and dancing, poetry readings, camel wrestling, and racing of horses and Salugis (a type of dog, similar to a greyhound, native to the North African desert; also known as Persian Greyhound)

Manastir i banja Vrdnik, Monastery and SPA Vrdnik

Na obroncima Fruske Gore u banji Vrdnik nalazi se manastir Vrdnik – Sremska Ravanica. Po predanju sazidan je pre 1521. godine.


On one side of the mountain Fruska Gora in Serbia, at SPA Vrdnik there is a monastery Vrdnik also called Sremska Ravanica. According to oral report from generation to generation it was built before 1521.

Njegova prava velika istorija počinje posle Velike seobe kada su se kaluđeri iz srbijanske Ravanice, koji su preneli telo Kneza Lazara do Sent Andreje, našli u ovom napuštenom sremskom manastiru. Tu su se naselili i 1697. godine doneli Lazarove mošti. Od tog trenutka manastir postaje središte kulta Kneza Lazara, istorijskog junaka koji utiče mnogo na formiranje srpske nacionalne svesti.

Its great history started after Great migration of Serbs (in 1690) when monks from Serbian Ravanica Monastery, who transferred relics of Knez (Prince) Lazar to St. Andrea in Hungary, found themselves in this deserted monastery. They settled in it and in 1697 they brought relics of Prince Lazar to the monastery. From that moment onwards, this place became a center point of Prince Lazar cult, a cult of a historic hero who influenced a great deal forming of a Serbian national consciousness.

U sremskoj Ravanici ležale su mošti Kneza sve do 1942. godine a potom su zbog Drugog svetskog rata, koji je besneo svuda, prenete u Sabornu crkvu u Beogradu. Konačno 1989. godine vraćene su tamo odakle su i krenule na viševekovno putovanje, u manastir Ravanicu kod Ćuprije gde i danas počivaju. U manastiru Vrdnik danas se nalazi kivot i samo deo moštiju Kneza Lazara (ključna kost).
In Sremska Ravanica monastery relics were kept till 1942. and later they were moved to Saborna Crkva (main Assembly Church) in Belgrade because of the second World War. Finally in 1989. they were returned to the place from which they went on a several centuries long journey – to monastery Ravanica near town Cuprija. Relics are in that monastery even today. In monastery Vrdnik reliquary of Prince Lazar and just a part of relics (clavicle) live today.





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Prva monografija o životu Princeze Olivere, kćeri Kneza Lazara, koja je posle boja na Kosovu data Sultanu Bajazitu kao zalog miru između Turske i Srbije objavljena je u Beogradu 2009. godine. Monografija je bazirana na pisanim izvorima i literaturi. Izdavač je Fond „Princeza Olivera". Više informacija o monografiji može se pronaći na sajtu www.princezaoliverafond.org.rs

First Monograph about life of Princess Olivera, daughter of Prince Lazar, who was given after Kosovo Battle to Sultan Bayazit as a peace guarantee between Serbia and Turkey was published in Belgrade in 2009. It is based on written sources and literature. The publisher is „Princess Olivera“ Foundation. More information can be seen on www.princezaoliverafond.org.rs

Današnja crkva nije prvobitna već je novija i datira iz perioda 1801. godine kada je početa njena gradnja. Zidana je deset godina i na Vidovdan 1811. godine je završena i osveštana.

Present church is not an old one. It is new and its construction started in 1801. Building of the church lasted for 10 years and in 1811. on Vidovdan it was finished and consecrated.


Kada uđete u crkvu pred vama se do samog neba uzdiže grandiozni ikonostas, možda najlepši ikad viđen. Ta uzvišena lepota na tren zaustavlja dah, otkucaje srca i otvara pred nemim posmatračem dimenziju večnosti. Iz starih slika i kitnjastih duboreza dodiruju vas minuli vekovi
i ćutke gledaju njihovi sveci. Ovaj ikonostas delo je bečkog đaka, velikog srpskog slikara Dimitrija Avramovića. Ikonostas je završio 1853. godine.
When you enter the church the magnificent iconostasis, maybe the most beautiful ever seen, ascends sky high in front of you. That majestic beauty takes for a moment breath away, holds heartbeat and opens before spectator`s eyes a dimension of eternity. From ancient paintings and wooden frame engravings past centuries touch you and silently their saints observe you. This iconostasis is a work of great Serbian painter Dimitrije Avramovic who was art student in Vienna. He finished iconostasis in 1853.





Manastir Vrdnik smešten je u Nacionalnom parku Fruška gora pa priroda koja ga okružuje miriše najdivnijim šumskim mirisima.
Monastery Vrdnik is situated in the National Park Fruska Gora so the nature that surrounds it smells with the most beautful wood sents!



Oni koji vole duge šetnje u prirodi mogu iz manstira poći nekom od staza i uživati u svežem planinskom vazduhu.
Walking lovers can take any path that goes from a monastery and enjoy in a fresh mountain air.




U banji Vrdnik nalazi se izvor termalne vode pa se posetioci mogu kupati i zimi i leti u lekovitoj vodi koja ima temperaturu 32 stepena celzijusa. Otvoreni bazen se koristi leti a zimi je u upotrebi zatvoreni bazen koji se nalazi u sklopu hotela Termal.
In Vrdnik SPA there is a swimming pool with natural thermal water. Visitors can swim summer and winter time in a healing water that has temperature of 32 C. Indoor swimming pool is in a hotel Termal complex.

Banja Vrdnik se nalazi na 60km od Beograda, 26 km od Novog Sada i 17km od mesta Ruma. Iz Beograda petkom ide autobus direktno za Vrdnik a svakodnevno ima više autobusa za Rumu. Iz Rume se može uzeti taksi koji u zavisnosti od broja putnika iznosi od 200 – 700din. Iz Novog Sada može se doći privatnom taksi službom „Mita“( tel : 063/502851) i „Gavrić“ ( tel : 064/1779918 i 064/2406205). Cena vožnje je 200din.

How to get there:
SPA Vrdnik is situated 60km away from Belgrade, 26km from Novi Sad and 17km from town Ruma. There is a bus to Vrdnik from Belgrade bus station every Friday. Every day there are lot of buses to Ruma (499RSD) and taxi service from ruma to Vrdnik (200-700RSD). From Novi Sad there is a taxi servise „Mita“ (tel: 063/502851) i „Gavrić“ ( tel : 064/1779918 i 064/2406205). The price is 200RSD.


 

Mahdija, Medina, Tunis, Mahdia,Medina Tunisia

U zemlji lepih ljudi, toplog mora I vrele pustinje postoji malo mesto uzbudljive prošlosti. Zove se Mahdija.Nalazi se u Tunisu, 60km južno od aerodroma u Monastiru I pruža se duž tirkizne plaže posute belim debelim peskom. U centru grada polako živi stara Medina puna malenih radnji u kojima se prodaje mnoštvo različitih stvari.


In a land of beautiful people, warm sea and hot desert there is a small place with exciting history. It name is Mahdia. It is situated in Tunisia some 65km south of Monastir airport and stretches along turquoise beaches with white sends. In the center of the city lives slowly old Medina full of tiny little shops where lot of various things can be found.

U Medinu se ulazi kroz veliku kamenu kapiju Skifa El- Kahla, ostatak iz desetog veka u kom je grad nastao..
At the entrance to the Medina a massive stone gate stands. It is Skifa El Kahla the original remain from 10th century, time when town was founded.



U centru Medine pod krošnjama
debelog hlada, lokalno stanovništvo uživa u toplim noćima pijući čaj od nane sa pinjolama I mladim bademima. U vazduhu leluja slatki miris nargila. Mirišu mešane jabuke, breskve I duvan.

In the midpoint of Medina, under the treetops, in thick shadows locals enjoy warm nights, sipping mint tea with pine nuts or young almonds. A sweet smell of nargile (sheesha) hovers through the air. Mixed apples, peaches and tobacco smell everywhere around.



Iz kafea El Medina pruža se pogled na Veliku Džamiju. Ova građevina je replika originalne džamije koju je početkom desetog veka podigao El Mahdi, kalif fatimidske dinastije koji je grad I osnovao. Arhitektura džamije je neobična, jer po ugledu na džamije iz desetog veka, nema minarete.

From café El Medina a magnificent Great Mosque can be observed. This building is a replica of original mosque erected at the beginning of 10th century by El Mahdi, Fatimid caliph, who founded Mahdia. Architecture of the mosque is unusual because it has no minarets (mosques in 10th century didn`t have minarets).


Petak je najsvetiji dan u Islamu te mnoštvo sveta dolazi na molitvu u veliku džamiju. Uz vernike u grad dolaze I trgovci pa je petkom oko Medine poređano bezbroj malih stolova I štandova sa najraznovrsnijom robom. Petak je veliki pijačni dan u Mahdiji I stoga prilika da se kupac utopi u šarenilo orijentalnog bazara.

Friday is the holiest day in Islam so lot of people comes to pray in the mosque. Along with believers traders comes to town so on Friday a number of small tables and stands are placed around Medina. Friday is a big market day and the chance for shopping lovers to blend in colorful oriental bazaar.

Uz bočni zid džamije nalazi se kafe Kiros u kom se u orijentalnom ambijentu obasjanom roze svetlošću može uživati u pravom italijanskom espresu.
Next to the side wall of the mosque there is a café Kiros where in oriental ambient illuminated by pink light one can enjoy in a real Italian espresso.








Na vrhu poluostrva, na kom Mahdija počiva, nalazi se tvrđava iz 16. veka. Sagrađena je na mestu gde je nekada bila El Mahdijeva palata. Sa tvrđave se pruža veličanstven pogled na more I oklolinu.
At the top of peninsula where Mahdia is situated there is a fortress from 16th century. It was built at the spot where centuries ago was El Mahdi`s palace. From the top of the fortress visitors can experience great view to the sea and surrounding area.

Mahdija je najpoznatija po svojim plažama. Zbog plavog čistog mora I belog peska zovu je još I Karibi Mediterana.
Mahdia is best known for it`s beaches. Because of the blue clear sea and white send beaches it is also called Caribbean of the Mediterranean sea!

Most na reci Kvaj, Bridge over the River Kwai

U mirnoj provinciji Kančanaburi na oko 130 km od Bankoka, ka granici sa Burmom nalazi se čuveni železnički “Most na reci Kvaj”.

In the quiet province of Kanchanaburi about 130 km west of the capital city of Bangkok, towards Burma border, there is a famous railway “Bridge over the River Kwai”.

U drugom svetskom ratu napravljena je jedna pruga kojom se iz Tajlanda transportovalo ljudstvo i oprema na front u Burmi. Ruta pruge je išla preko dubokih dolina i planina. Sav težak posao obavljan je ručno jer je teren bio nepogodan za prevoz opreme. Radove su izvodili ratni zarobljenici uglavnom Australijanci, Englezi, Holanđani, Amerikanci i Azijati. Oko 16.000 ratnih zarobljenika i 150.000 civila izgubilo je živote gradeći ovu prugu.

During the World War II a railway was made. This railway was intended to move men and supplies from Thailand to the Burmese front. The route traversed deep valleys and mountains. All the heavy work was manually done as earth moving equipment was not possible. The workers were war prisoners mostly Australians, Dutch, British, Americans and Asians. About 16.000 war prisoners and 150.000 civilians lost their lives building this railway.




Njihovi posmrtni ostaci nalaze se danas na memorijalnim grobljima. Jedno od njih je Kančanaburi, nedaleko od ozloglašenog mosta i “Pruge smrti” na kojoj su umrli.
Their remains are reburied after war together at memorial graveyards. One of them is Kanchanaburi cemetery situated not far from notorious bridge and “Death railway” on which they died.

Pored groblja nalazi se i Ratni vojni muzej. Sva tri mesta su svedeočanstvo i opomena da je rat tragična besmislica.
Close to cemetery there is a War Museum. All three places are testimony and warning that a war is a tragic nonsense.



Prvobitni most je donešen sa Jave u delovima i rekonstruisan. Srušen je u brojnim bomdardovanjima krajem drugog svetskog rata od strane savezničke avijacije. Posle drugog svetskog rata ponovo je podignut te su danas na mostu samo lučni delovi originalni.
Originally the bridge was brought, in pieces, all the way from Java to be reconstructed here. At the end of World War II it was destroyed in numerous air attacks by Allied bombers. After the war it was rebuild so today only round sections are original parts of the bridge.



Most na reci Kvaj zapravo ne prelazi preko reke Kvaj već preko reke Mae Klong. Režiser filma “Most na reci Kvaj”, zbog kog je ovaj most postao poznat širom sveta i velika turistička atrakcija, možda nje znao (a možda je i znao) da pruga ne ide preko reke Kvaj te je nastala velika zbrka. Kada su turisti počeli da dolaze na Tajland i traže da vide most Tajlanđani su se dosetili pa su deo reke Mae Klong (ispod mosta i malo duže) jednostavno prekrstili u reku Kvaj (Kwae Yai).
The Bridge over the River Kwai doesn`t cross over the river Kwai but over the river Mae Klong. The director of the movie “Bridge over the River Kwai” didn`t know (or maybe he did know) that the railway didn`t go over river Kwai so it made a big confusion. When tourists started coming to Thailand to see world-wide famous Bridge, Thais got an idea and simply renamed part of the Mae Klong river (under the bridge and bit longer) into Kwae Yai.



Danas kada posetite to mesto priroda je toliko lepa i pitoma da ništa ne ukazuje na stravične događaje koji su se odvijali pre sedamdeset godina. Jedino je most pomalo zastrašujući, crn masivan i gvozden kao i vremena u kojima je nastao.

Today when you visit this place the nature is so beautiful and tame that nothing indicates terrible events that happened seventy years ago. Only the bridge is bit scary, black, massive and iron like times in which it was made.

Ako stupate na most treba da znate da ima neku hipnotičku moć i da ćete dok koračate njim tek negde na pola reke shvatiti da hodate po uzanom koloseku pored kog su ogromne rupe kroz koje se može propasti u ambis. Tada će na sredini mosta nastati panika jer niko neće imati hrabrosti da se pomeri u stranu kako biste vi prošli. Desiće se da ćete morati sa nekim da se zagrlite kako biste se mimoišli. Ukoliko patite od straha od visine možda će vas strah paralisati pa ćete ostati “večno” na tom mestu. A nije loše znati da je pruga u redovnoj upotrebi! Ja nisam znala!!!

If you step on the bridge you must know that it has some hypnotic power and that if you walk over it you `ll somewhere in the middle of the river become aware that you are walking down the very narrow gauge with huge holes by it side through which you can drop into abyss. At that moment in the middle of the bridge panic will get you because no one will have courage to move aside so that you can pass. At some point you will be forced to hug someone in order to swop places and pass by each other. If you suffer from fear of heights maybe the fear will paralyze you and you`ll stay on the bridge “forever”. And it`s good to know that the railway is in a regular use! I didn`t know!!!



Više podataka o ratnim događanjima može se naći u vojnom muzeju.
More details about war happenings can be found in the War museum.

Drvengrad na Mećavniku, Drvengrad Mecavnik

Na putu Užice – Višegrad koji lagano vijuga preko severnih padina Zlatibora na jednom brdu zvanom Mećavnik pored sela Mokra Gora postoji maleni grad. Sanjao ga je i iz svoje mašte magičnih slika otelotvorio svetski poznat filmski režiser Emir Kusturica. Nadenuo mu je ime Drvengrad.


At the road Uzice – Visegrad (in Serbia) which curves slowly over the northern slopes of mountin Zlatibor, on the hill called Mecavnik, next to the village Mokra Gora there is a miniature town. Famous film director Emir Kusturica dreamed of it and from his fantasy of magic images embodied it. Than he named it Drvengrad (Timber-town).



Udahnuo mu je život ekstravagantne umetnikove kreacije. Kustendorf, kako ga još zovu, je mali hotelski kompleks u etno stilu sačinjen od drvenih kuća, kamenih stepeništa i uličica nazvanih po velikim umetnicima i njihovim delima. U ulicama „žive“ neobične statue i imena koja od zaborava čuvaju velikane poput Ive Andrića.
He gave it the life of an extravagant artist`s creation. Also known as Kustendorf this town is actually a small ethno style hotel resort made of wooden houses, stone stairs and small streets named after great artists and their works. In those streets an extraordinary sculptures and names “live” and they preserve from oblivion giants such as Nobel Prize winner, writer Ivo Andric.

Kulturno-sportski centar Prokleta avlija

U Drvengradu miriše planinska priroda, sija čisto planinsko nebo, golica čula sveže spremljena domaća hrana i tihuje neki viši mir. Zato je ovo mesto pod jasnim suncem jedinstveni kutak za odmor. Na oko, zaspao u vekovima, Drvengrad je zapravo moderno opremljen hotel sa izvanredno uređenim sobama, restoranima,
In Drvengrad mountain nature smells, clear mountin sun shines, fresh home made food tickle senses and live silently a superior peace. That is why this spot under the bright sun is a unique corner of the world for holiday. Looking like fell asleep in centuries, Drvengrad is actually modern hotel with remarkably designed rooms, restaurants,




teretanom, bazenom i bioskopskom salom. Zimi se može skijati na stazama koje se nalaze u blizini i na kojima uvek ima prirodnog ili veštačkog snega a leti šetati po okolnim brdima. Kusturica je, zbog Drvengrada, 2005. godine dobio evropsku nagradu za arhitekturu Filip Rotije. Nagrada, koju tradicionalno svake treće godine dodeljuje „Fondacija za arhitekturu” iz Brisela, jedno je od najcenjenijih belgijskih i evropskih odličja u oblasti arhitektonske kulture.

gym, swimming pool and cinema. In a winter time one can ski on ski chutes that are in a vicinity of the hotel. Natural or artificial snow are allways provided. In a summer time it is a special experiance to walk over the surrounding hills. Kusturica gained in 2005 an european award for architecture Philippe Rotthier. This award which is traditionaly assigned every third year by Brussels Foundation for Architecture «Philippe Rotthier» is one of the most appreciated Belgian and European awards in a world of architecture.



Reditelj je 2008. u Drvengradu osnovao Međunarodni filmski i muzički festival “Kustendorf” i ovaj festival se održava svake godine. Osim redovnih učesnika kao specijalni gosti su se na festivalu do sada pojavili reditelji Nikita Mihalkov (2008), Džim Džarmuš (2009) i glumac Džoni Dep (2010).

In 2008. the Director Emir Kusturica has founded, in Drvengrad, Film and Music Festival “Kustendorf” and this festival takes place every year. Apart from regular participants so far special guest such as directors Nikita Mihalkov (2008), Jim Jarmusch (2009) and actor Johnny Depp (2010) attended the festival.

U blizini hotela nalazi se stanica pruge Šarganska osmica. Ova pruga uskog koloseka sagrađena je početkom dvadesetog veka i danas je jedinstvena u svetu. Vožnja Šarganskom osmicom je poseban turistički doživljaj.

Close to hotel complex there is a station of Shargan Eight railway. This narrow gauge railway was built at the beginning of twentieth century and today is unique in the world. Excursion trip with Shargan Eight train is an exceptional experience.

Više informacija o Drvengradu može se naci na internet sajtu: www.mecavnik.info
More information about Drvengrad can be found at: www.mecavnik.info

Hram Zore, Wat Arun

Na obali reke Chao Praya u Bankoku nalazi se jedno od nejlepših obeležja ovog grada hram Wat Arun (Hram zore).
On the Chao Praya River bank in Bangkok there is one of the most beautiful landmarks of the city –Temple Wat Arun.



Ovaj budistički hram u svojoj arhitekturi ima elemente i Kmerskog i Tajlandskog stila.
This buddhist temple has in its architecture Khmer and Thai style elements.



Podignut je u vreme stare prestonice Ajutaje i kasnije dograđivan tokom vladavine raznih kraljeva.
It was built in the days of Thailand`s ancient capital of Ayutthaya and parts of the temple were additionaly built later throughout the reign of various Kings.

U njemu je jedno vreme boravila statua Smaragdnog Bude nakon što je bila vraćena iz Laosa a potom je ta najveća svetinja 1784. godine premeštena u hram Wat Phra Kaew ( koji se nalazi u sastavu Velike Palate) gde se može videti i danas.
The temple briefly hosted the revered Emerald Buddha after it was recaptured from Laos, but was moved to Wat Phra Kaew in 1784. where it can be seen today.



Najimpresivniji deo hrama je centralna pagoda izgrađena u Kmerskom stilu visine oko 80 m. Ona simbolizuje planinu Meru na kojoj borave bogovi i koja je prema indijskoj kosmologiji centar Univerzuma.
The most impressive feature of the temple is its central prang, a Khmer-style pagoda, which is about 80 meters tall. This pagoda symbolizes the legendary Mount Meru where gods live, the mountain that is, according to Indian cosmology, Center of the Universe.




Uz pagodu se može popeti veoma uzanim i strmim stepenicama do prvog i drugog nivoa sa kojih se pruža predivan pogled na reku i grad.
It is possible to climb the prang, using some very steep exterior steps, to the first and second level from which one can have a great view to the river and the city.





Lepota hrama je u njegovoj arhitekturi i ukrašenosti. Spoljni zidovi su obloženi školjkama i delićima kineskog porculana pa hram u zoru na prvim sunčevim zracima blista mnoštvom boja.
The beauty of the temple is in it`s architecture and its decoration. The exterior walls are decorated by seashells and bits of China porcelan so the temple shines with lots of colors under the first sunbeams of the dawn.







Centralnu pagodu okružuju četiri manje, posvećene bogu vetra Phra Phai. Iako je hram posvećen hinduističkom bogu zore Arunu najlepši pogled na ovu građevinu je u sumrak i to gledano sa druge strane reke Chao Praya. Pagode hrama se tada vide kao veličanstvene siluete na pospanom nebu Bankoka.
Central pagoda is surrounded by four smaller satellite prangs, which are dedicated to the wind god Phra Phai. Despite the name and the fact that the temple is dedicated to Indian god of the Dawn Arun, the most spectacular view of the glittering monument can be seen from the east side of the river at sunset, when the spires of Wat Arun make an impressive silhouette against the sleepy skyline of Bangkok.